Soprano Elena Galanza is famous for her performance of Bizet's opera "Carmen". After her performance at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the New York Times called her "the best Carmen in 25 years."
On November 1st at the Shanghai Concert Hall, Galanza made her debut in Shanghai, bringing many wonderful arias from her famous work "Carmen". British conductor Karel Mark Chichon conducted the Macao Orchestra and was at the scene. This is also a participating project in this year’s China Shanghai International Arts Festival.
Elena Galanza. The on-site pictures in this article were all taken by Dong Tianye.
Dressed in a red dress, decorated with several big red roses, Galanza appeared on the stage, so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes away. The first half of the
concert had a strong national flavor and drama. "Les Demoiselles d'Orléans", "Samson and Dalila", "Queen of Saba"... Galanza continuously brought excerpts from operas by Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, and Gounod, and her singing voice was melodious and moving. Full of dramatic tension.
In the second half of the concert, three Spanish matador dance songs made people feel like they were in a bullring, full of Spanish enthusiasm and vitality. Later, Galanza sang gorgeously such passages as "Love is like a free bird", "Beside the Old City Wall of Seville", "Misfortune is inevitable" and "Song of Bohemia" from the famous work "Carmen". Take people quickly into a complex and fascinating world.
was in high spirits throughout the entire scene. Dalila, Queen Saba, Carmen... When portraying these characters, Galanza did not use too much body language and relied entirely on voice shaping.
"Her performance is light and easy. She does not do anything deliberately and has no trace of technique, but people can't help but follow her into the character's heart." Music critic Li Changying was moved by the music. Listening to it, it seemed that there was something wrong. Thousands of roses bloom in my heart.
"The star shines brightly, and the voice and emotion are both magnificent." Music critic Li Yanhuan was also impressed by Galanza's noble temperament and timbre, lamenting that he was lucky enough to witness her best years on the stage of the Shanghai Concert Hall, "The unparalleled beautiful singing voice, this She is a real diva. ”
Elena Galanza was born in a musical family in Riga, Latvia, and studied at the Latvian Conservatory of Music with her mother. As a singer exclusively signed by Deutsche Grammophon (dg), Galanza has released many albums and won many "Echo Classics Awards".
"I like to divide the show into two parts. The first part is more classical and serious, and can show the ability of the voice and the artistry as a singer. The second part, usually adds more energy and party elements, which is more relaxed. "This is how Galanza introduced the program plan for the concert.
Before coming to Shanghai, Galanza was already surrounded by the enthusiasm of the audience. "On Facebook and Instagram, many fans came over and said: You are finally here! I feel loved and very welcome." Galanza observed that Chinese young people are full of curiosity and love for classical music, "They are enthusiastic , colorful, like bright colors, and also like powerful music. "
"Even if some people claim that classical music is outdated, as long as people still love classical music and are interested in it, it will continue to exist." Galanza. He believes that sometimes, Asian orchestras are more open-minded, while Western orchestras are a little more stubborn. "They will say: We will play this way. We have been playing for 100 or 200 years, so we have to continue."
This is Galanza's first time coming to Shanghai, and it is also her first time bringing her children to Shanghai. It was a typhoon and it rained constantly. Before the performance, she walked in the rain and looked at the city in the limited time. The long history and excellent sound effects of the Shanghai Concert Hall fascinated her. The Peace Hotel where she stayed was so gorgeous and dazzling that it made her travel through time and space, as if she had entered the movie scene of "The Great Gatsby".
When she learned that the China Shanghai International Arts Festival had been held for more than 20 years, Galanza sighed repeatedly, "If it can survive the first five years, it will be amazing; ten years, it will be even more amazing; twenty years, it will be a A serious milestone." She wished the festival could successfully move towards 30, 40 and even 50 years of glory.
"The audience cheered loudly and the atmosphere was unparalleled. This kind of stage is where I look forward to going on stage again." After the performance, Galanza praised the Shanghai audience. The 48-year-old said with a smile that she would definitely come back, "I am still young and still singing, so in the next 10 to 15 years, I hope to return to Shanghai."
